°ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳

Special Report
States

The Nation’s Schools: A Bird’s-Eye View

September 03, 2019 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Time now for the big reveal: Who’s on top and who lags behind when it comes to the nation’s K-12 school systems—and why?

This third and final installment of Quality Counts 2019 pulls together all the strands of °ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳’s year-long dive into the strengths and weaknesses of K-12 education based on a wealth of national and state-level data, from test scores and diplomas to spending and socioeconomic factors that can affect student readiness for the K-12 system, for college, and for lifelong achievement.

Earlier installments issued partial grades for the states and the nation in the area of school finance and for the Education Research Center’s trademark Chance for Success Index, which weighs a host of indicators aiming to gauge how education factors into lifelong opportunity. This latest report folds in reading and math performance, graduation rates, and other achievement data to come up with overall grades for the nation as a whole and for each of the states.

The picture that emerges is one of limited progress in a K-12 landscape that has been mired in mediocrity for the more than two decades that Quality Counts has been issuing grades for the nation and the individual states. While a handful of high-achievers continue to build on their success, and while some states that perennially fall short find ways to shine in key areas, the end result remains a C—keeping the issue of how to spark improvement before policymakers for another year.

This report unpacks the data behind that national grade and more. It offers snapshots of the top state performers and the challenges they still face; highlights what low-scoring states are doing to boost achievement for their students; and teases out regional patterns that continue to define the state of the nation’s schools.

And for more detail on the individual states, including where each of them stand on the dozens of indicators that go into the report’s Chance for Success, K-12 Achievement, and School Finance Indexes, be sure to download the State Highlights Reports compiled by the °ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳ Research Center.

—The Editors

Related Tags:

In March 2024, °ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳ announced the end of the Quality Counts report after 25 years of serving as a comprehensive K-12 education scorecard. In response to new challenges and a shifting landscape, we are refocusing our efforts on research and analysis to better serve the K-12 community. For more information, please go here for the full context or learn more about the EdWeek Research Center.

Events

Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum Big AI Questions for Schools. How They Should Respond 
Join this free virtual event to unpack some of the big questions around the use of AI in K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of °ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳'s editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of °ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳'s editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Spark Minds, Reignite Students & Teachers: STEM’s Role in Supporting Presence and Engagement
Is your district struggling with chronic absenteeism? Discover how STEM can reignite students' and teachers' passion for learning.
Content provided by 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

States Which States Require the Most—and Least—Instructional Time? Find Out
There's no national policy dictating how much time students must attend classes each year. That leads to wide variation by state.
2 min read
Image of someone working on a calendar.
Chainarong Prasertthai/iStock/Getty
States More States Are Testing the Limits Around Religion in Public Schools
A wave of state policies mixing public education and religion are challenging the church-state divide in public schools.
4 min read
An empty classroom is shown at A.G. Hilliard Elementary School on Sept. 2, 2017, in Houston.
An empty classroom is shown at A.G. Hilliard Elementary School on Sept. 2, 2017, in Houston. Texas's state school board has approved a curriculum with Bible-infused lessons, the latest of a wave of state policies challenging the church-state divide in schools.
David J. Phillip/AP
States A State Changed Anti-Bias Guidelines for Teachers After a Lawsuit. Will Others?
The lawsuit filed by a conservative law firm took issue with state guidelines on examining biases and diversifying curriculum.
5 min read
Students arrive for classes at Taylor Allderdice High School in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh on Jan. 23, 2024.
Students arrive for classes at Taylor Allderdice High School in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh on Jan. 23, 2024. As part of a recent court settlement, Pennsylvania will no longer require school districts to follow its set of guidelines that sought to confront racial and cultural biases in education.
Gene J. Puskar/AP
States In Deep-Red Florida, Voters Reject Partisan School Board Races
Florida voters rejected a constitutional amendment to make school board races partisan.
2 min read
Image of a board room.
Collage by Laura Baker/°ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳ (Images: DigitalVision Vectors; E+; iStock/Getty)